Ethio Telecom Launches teleSign National Digital Signature Platform

Ethio Telecom has launched teleSign, a national digital signature and identity verification platform that enables Ethiopian citizens and the diaspora to authenticate legal documents and access government services remotely.

The platform, developed in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, and the Federal Documents Authentication and Registration Service (DARS), went live on March 30 through mobile apps and a web portal. It allows users to grant or revoke power of attorney, authenticate legal documents, and obtain or renew professional licenses without visiting embassies, consulates, or government offices in person.

teleSign uses AI-powered video identity verification with liveness detection to authenticate users remotely. During the verification process, users complete a video session that confirms their live presence, a measure intended to prevent identity fraud and spoofing. The system is fully integrated with Fayda, Ethiopia’s national digital ID system, which underpins identity verification across the platform. Payments are processed through telebirr, the country’s mobile payment service, and all data is stored on Ethio Telecom’s local cloud infrastructure.

The launch is positioned as a core component of Digital Ethiopia 2030, the five-year national digital transformation strategy adopted in December 2025. The strategy calls for universal digital identity coverage and the digitization of public services across the country.

State Minister of Foreign Affairs Berhanu Tsegaye called teleSign “a game-changer” for making authentication services more accessible and reliable. The State Minister of Justice said the platform could reduce transportation costs, create jobs, and ease pressure on the justice system by eliminating the need for in-person document processing.

Ethiopia has been expanding Fayda’s integration across public and private institutions and has mandated the digital ID for all banking transactions. More than 21 million Ethiopians have enrolled in Fayda to date, with the government targeting 90 million adults by 2027.

The platform is designed to serve over 110 million people, including 87 million active Ethio Telecom subscribers. Tasks that previously required weeks of in-person processing can now be completed in minutes, according to the company. Secure encryption and audit trails are built into the system to support transparency and accountability in government workflows.

Sources: Ethio Negari, allAfrica

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By the ID Tech Editorial Team